The Magnolia

The Gothenburg-based soul collective The Magnolia holds a cult status in Swedish music history. Not least as the launching pad for two of the country’s most distinctive voices – Albin Lee Meldau and Arvid Nero – but also for something harder to define: a musical nerve few Swedish bands have come close to capturing. With two charismatic lead vocalists up front and a band made up of some of Sweden’s most intuitive and responsive musicians, The Magnolia carved out a sound that felt both timeless and entirely their own. Soul with weight, fragility, and depth – as much Gothenburg night as it is Memphis. Scandinavian Soul once described them as “a band that managed to capture the true essence of Stax and Motown, but with a modern Nordic touch.” The band took shape around 2010, when a group of friends from Gothenburg – who had grown up together – began shaping their sound. For nearly five years, they honed their craft in rehearsal spaces, on the streets and on live stages before finally releasing their debut album in 2015. Then, silence. Until now. Together with American songwriter and producer Old Sea Brigade (Benjamin George Cramer), they entered the studio – and the result is the band’s second album. Benjamin now also joins the band as guitarist. The Magnolia currently consists of Albin Lee Meldau (vocals & guitar), Arvid Nero (vocals & guitar), Gabriel Castro (bass), Pontus Hedström (piano/keys), and Kalle Stenbäcken (drums).